Apparatus for loading plating racks



Aug. 28, 1962 G. E. ALGATT APPARATUS FOR LOADING PLATING RACKS V YiI iI'7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 7, 1959 RT W m E E ATTORNEY Aug. 28, 1962G. E. ALGATT APPARATUS FOR LOADING PLATING RACKS Filed July 7, 1959 7Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Aug. 28, 1962 Filed July 7, 1959 G E. ALGATTAPPARATUS FOR LOADING PLATING RACKS '7 Sheets-Sheet- 3 :1 1 1x92 E 0) lI L i *T INVENTOR E i F 53 E. HLGHT'T o w ATTORNEY 1962 G. E. ALGATT3,051,334

APPARATUS FOR LOADING PLATING RACKS Filed July 7, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 4INV EN TOR 51E FlLEF-TT'T' BY W ATTORNEY Aug. 28, 1962 .e. E. ALGATT3,051,334

APPARATUS FOR LOADING PLATING RACKS Filed July 7, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENIOR G. E. HLEHTT' BY W 4 ATTORNEY Aug. 28, 1962 G. E. ALGATT3,051,334

APPARATUS FOR LOADING PLATING RACKS Filed July '7, 1959 '7 Sheets-Sheet6 INVENT OR 5'. 5. HLE'HT'T BY ATTORNEY Aug 28, 1962' G. E. ALGATT3,051,334 APPARATUS FOR LOADING PLATING RACKS Filed July 7, 1959 7Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR G. E. HLGHT'T' f ATTORNEY United States Patent()fiice 3,651,334 Patented Aug. 28, 1962 3,351,334 APPARATUS FGR LOADINGPLATING RACKS George E. Algatt, Allentown, Pa, assignor to WesternElectric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of NewYork Filed July '7, 1959, Ser. No. 825,543 4 Claims. (Cl. 2148.5)

This invention relates to article loading apparatus particularlyapparatus for loading racks with articles, certain portions of which areto be coated in a subsequent operation.

In the present instance, the articles are to be plated and are known asreeds for use in dry reed switches. The reeds are approximately & wideand 1%" long and either one or both ends of the reeds are to be platedwith a precious metal to assure suitable electrical contact with theircompanion members when disposed in switches. The present plating racksare adapted to hold 100 articles of this type providing they are spacedaccurately in the masking area of the rack, free of each other and withthe desired length of the one or both ends to be plated extending thepredetermined distance from the masking area.

The object of the present invention is an apparatus which issemi-automatic in operation for rapidly, efliciently, and accuratelyloading racks with articles.

In accordance with the object, the invention comprises a conveyoradapted to support rack members for movement relative to a hopper forarticles, located at a feeding station, and causing the articles to dropsuccessively from the hopper onto given locations on a masking surfaceof the rack member.

More specifically, the conveyor extends through two Working areas, onewherein a spacing element rides on the rack member and functions incooperation with a feeding means operable automatically to advance theelement and rack member intermittently to position passageways of thespacing element successively in alignment with an exit end of a hoppercarrying the articles, at which time an article is automatically freedfrom the hopper and allowed to drop through the passageway at thefeeding station and onto the surface of the rack member. When thepredetermined number of articles have been fed to and located on therack member, the loaded rack member with the spacing element is moved onthe conveyor to the next work area where a ram, with supporting latches,is operated to remove the spacing element, without disturbing thearticles, and to lower the companion rack member and cause it to besecured to the loaded rack member.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailed description when considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2, when joined together end to end, illustrate a fragmentarytop plan view of the apparatus;

FIGS. 3 and 4, when joined together end to end as FIGS. 1 and 2,illustrate a front elevational View of the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detailed view of a portion of the drive meansfor the rack member being loaded and the spacing element;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detailed view of a portion of the structureshown near the right end of FIG. 4, illustrating the removability of thespacing element from a loaded rack member;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the hopperillustrating the feeding of the articles singly from the hopper to apassageway of the spacing element at the feeding station;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 8-8 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of one of the racks;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one of the racksloaded with the articles; and

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line11-11 of FIG. 10.

The. apparatus has a main support 15 mounted on suitable legs 16, onlyone of which is shown. A conveyor indicated generally at 17 extends froman entrance end 18 to a finish end 19 and is supported by suitable means20, 21, and 22; these supporting means being mounted on the main support15. The conveyor 17 is composed mainly of side members 24 and series ofsupporting rollers 25 and guide rollers 26. The supporting rollers 25 ina feeding area 28 are spaced farther apart than in a finishing area 29,the reason being that in the feeding area, the supporting rollers carrythe weight of only the rack member to be loaded, the spacing element andthe articles, whereas in the finishing area 29 the other rack memberbacked by vertical pressure is added to the loaded rack member.

At this point, attention is directed to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 whichillustrate one of the plating racks, indicated generally at 30 andcomposed of a main rack member 31 and a companion rack member 32. Theserack members composing the rack 30 are of sufiicient length to receive100 articles 33 at spaced positions for plating either or both ends ofthe articles. The portions 34 and 35 of the rack members are formed of asuitable flexible material such as rubber to surround the portions ofthe articles 33 disposed therebetween, to completely mask these portionsand hold them free of the plating solution. Therefore, the rack member31 has a surface 36 upon which the articles 33 are to be located in theapparatus. The rack member 31 has apertures 37 therein and springactuated latches 38 pivoted at 39 and disposed in notches 40 so as to beactuated outwardly by tapered ends 41 of connecting pins 42 of the rackmember 32. Notches 43 in the pins 42 are positioned to receive thelatches 38 when the vertical pressure on the companion member compressesthe portions 34 and 35. A handle 44- of the companion rack member 32 isfor mounting the loaded rack in the plating tank.

Returning to FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, attention is directed to a springloaded stop 45 normally urged into the position shown in FIG. 1 toextend in front of each rack member 31 when moved onto the conveyor 17.By the aid of a handle 46, the stop 45 may be moved against the force ofits spring 47 to move the stop free of the rack member 31. A cam 48 iscarried by the stop 45 and movable therewith. When in its normalposition, shown in FIG. 1, the cam 48 is disposed adjacent an arm 49 ofa start switch 50 which is normally open but is actuated into closedposition by movement of the stop and cam out of their normal positionsto permit the rack member 31 to be advanced. After the intermittentmovements of the rack begin, the stop 45 is released allowing a surface51 of the stop to ride on the adjacent surface of the rack member 31until it reaches a recess 53, FIG. 10. At this time, the last articlefor the rack member 31 is dropped onto the surface 36 and the stop 4-5,while entering the recess 53, will return to its normal position and thestart switch '50 will be allowed to open.

A part of the automatic feeding means, shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, includesa spacing element 56 which has pins 57 positioned to enter the upperportions of the apertures 37 in the rack member 31 and to locatepassageways 58 of the element 56 to divide the surface 36 of the maskingmember 34 of the rack member 31 into spaced supporting areas for thearticles 33.

The passageways 58 are formed by parallel partitions 59 extendingupwardly a given distance from the rack member 31 and resting upon thesurface 36. Attention is directed to the spacing element 56 of FIG. 3which is longer than the rack member 31, extending like distances beyondeach end thereof. Notches 60 are formed in the ends of the element 56and side members 61 near the ends thereof serve to straddle the rackmember 31. A part of the advancing means includes a top rack 62 and abottom rack 63 with the tapered surfaces of the teeth of these racksextending in opposing directions as illustrated in FIG. 1.

A power unit 65 is in the form of an air cylinder pivotally supported at66, FIGS. 1 and 3, and having a piston rod 67 pivotally connected at 68,FIG. 5, to the upper end of a rocking element 69. The rocking element 69is mounted on a spindle 70 which is supported by a stationary bracket71. One arm of the rocking element 69 carries an adjustable screw 72,for controlling the return travel of the piston rod, positioned toengage a stationary stop 73 mounted in the bracket 71. A surface 74 ofthe rocking member 69 will engage an adjustable stop 75 mounted in athreaded aperture of the bracket 71 to control the forward travel of thepiston rod. A lever 77 is mounted on the spindle 7 and carries a pivot78 at its upper end for a feeding pall or detent 79. The detent 79normally is urged cotmterclockwise about its pivot 7 8 by a spring 80 tourge it into engagement with the teeth of the rack 63. A second detentor pall 82 is supported for vertical movement in an aperture 83 of astationary member 84 and is urged upwardly a limited distance by aspring 85 to engage the teeth of the rack 63 to hold the rack againstreverse movement during the reversing action of the detent 79 to itsstarting or normal position.

Two separate means are provided to prevent overrunning of the feedingaction of the spacing element '56 and the rack member .31, one being aspring pressed detent 87 capable of applying a holding force againstlongitudinal movement of the spacing element and the rack 31, the otherbeing a spring pressed detent 88 adapted to engage successive teeth ofthe rack 62 to prevent over-running of the spacing element and the rackmember. The detent 88, as shown in FIG. 5, has a projection 89 at oneside thereof positioned to be actuated by, or under the control of, anarm 90 which is fixed to the piston rod 67. The right end of the arm 90is positioned to ride between guide pins or rollers 91 supported by astationary member 92. The arm is provided with a recess 93 having atapered surface 94 cooperating with a tapered surface 95 of theprojection 89. The function of this structure is to hold the detent 88down against the force of its spring, free of its rack 62 when the powermeans and the other driving mechanism are in their normal positions, andto free the detent 88 to move upwardly to engage the next tooth of itsrack 62 to provide a positive stop for the spacing element 56 and therack 31 to centrally locate the next passageway '58 :at the feedingstation.

Another arm or projection 95, having one end fixed to the piston rod 67,is movable therewith to alternately close normally open switches 96 and97. In FIG. 1, lines 98 represent supply lines from a source ofelectrical energy to the start switch 50. Lines leading from the startswitch illustrate that the switch 96, which may be described as theadvancing switch, and switch 97, which may be defined as the reverseswitch, are under the control of, and receive electrical energy through,the start switch as long as the start switch is closed.

A solenoid valve 100 for controlling air under pressure from a supplyline 101 through lines 102 and 103 as well as exhaust conditions througheither line 102 or 103 and an exhaust port 104 from opposite ends of theair cylinder 65, is under the control of solenoid windings 105 and 106which are responsive to the actions of their respective switches 96 and97. With this arrangement, once the start switch 50 is closed throughactuation of the stop 45, the advancing means will operate automaticallyuntil the start switch is opened after loading the last article, atwhich time the stop 45 enters the recess 53.

The advancing switch 96 controls also energization of a solenoid 108, asillustrated in FIG. 1, to actuate a feeding element 109 for an articleholding hopper 110. In the present illustration, the hopper 110, asshown in FIG. 7, holds a stack of the articles 32, the bottom one ofwhich rests on a table 111, upon which the feeding element 109 isreciprocated. The element 109 is shown in its normal or unoperatedposition where it is held by the force of a spring 112, FIG. 1.Energization of the solenoid 108 will move the element 109 to the leftto move the bottom article 32 free of the table 111 to drop in thepassageway '58 at the feeding station. A stop 114, carried by the hopper110, prevents over-shooting of the article and assures its dropping ontothe surface 36 of the rack member 31.

At the work station 29, a press indicated generally at 115 has a bed 116grooved at 117 to receive and support the conveyor 17. The press alsohas vertical guide posts 118 for a ram 119 which is secured at 120 to ahead 1 21 of the press. At this work station, an adjustable stop 122,FIGS. 2 and 4, is mounted on the conveyor to position the loaded rack 31and the element 56 relative to the ram 119. A spring pressed triggerlatch 123 is moved out of the way by the loaded rack 31 in entering workstation 29 and returns to the position shown in FIG. 2 to cooperate withthe stop 122 to locate the element and rack with the ram. The ram hasspring pressed latches 124 disposed at each end thereof to automaticallyengage recesses 60 of the element 56 on the down stroke of the ram sothat during the up stroke of the ram, the element may be removed fromthe loaded rack without disturbing the location of any of the articlesthereon. When the ram is in its up position, the element 56 is removedfrom the latches and the companion rack member 32 is mounted on the ramby positioning recesses 125 thereof on pins 126 of the ram. The pins 126have enlarged portions 127 which act as reference surfaces to positionthe companion rack member 32 accurately with respect to the loaded rackmember 31.

At this time, the ram is lowered to a position where the companion rackmember will not only rest upon the loaded rack member but will be movedfurther under pressure until the notches 43 of the companion rack member32 on the pins 42 thereof receive the latches 38 of the rack member 31,at which time the flexible members 34 and 35 will be compressed tosurround and mask the adjacent portions of the articles 32.

Operation The apparatus is semi-automatic in its operation requiringinitially the mounting of one of a number of spacing elements 56 on arack member 31 with the pins 57 of the element entering the apertures 37of the rack member. At this time, the element and rack member are moveduntil they engage the stop 51 which locates the first passageway 58 atthe feeding station. The operator then pulls the stop 45 free of therack causing closing of the start switch 50.

With the structure in the position shown in FIG. 1, the solenoid 108will be energized the moment the start switch is closed, operating theelement 109' to feed the article into the first passageway and onto thesurface 36 of the rack 31. Immediately thereafter, the drive means isoperated through its forward motion. The switch 96 is closed to operatethe valve 100 to operate the power unit 65 causing the piston rod tooperate the detents 79, 82, and 88. As soon as the power unit 65 ismoved to its forward position, switch 97 is closed causing reverseaction of the power unit and actions of the detents to permit the detent79 to assume its new position adjacent the next tooth of the rack 63-,While the detent 8 2 prevents movement of the rack member 31 and element56, and the detent 88 has moved free of its rack 62 for the next feedingmotion. This action continues automatically and as the switch 96 isclosed during each return motion, the solenoid 108 operates to feed thearticle or release it from the hopper and allow it to drop into thepassageway at the feeding station. Therefore, the loading operation isautomatic from the time the stop 45 is moved back and allowed to ride onthe surface of the rack 31 and until the last article is loaded on therack, at which time the stop returns to its normal position, the startswitch 59 is opened, and the drive means is de-energized.

While another rack 31 with a spacing element 56 thereon is moved intooperating position for loading, the loaded rack with its spacing elementis moved to the second Work station 29 where, through actuation of theram, the spacing element is removed and the companion rack is forcedinto locking engagement with the loaded rack 31 and both are removedfrom the conveyor by the ram.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simplyillustrative of the application of the principles of the invention.Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled inthe art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall thespirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for loading racks having connectable companion memberswith flexible masking surfaces comprising a conveyor to support certainmembers of the racks, guides on the conveyor to limit movement of themembers in a given path, a hopper for articles to be plated held instacked formation therein and having an exit opening located at afeeding station above the conveyor, a spacing element removably mountedat a given position on the masking surface of a rack member disposed onthe conveyor, lateral partitions of the element dividing the maskingsurface of the rack member into article supporting areas and cooperatingto form guide passageways to the supporting areas for the articles,means to move the element with its rack member on the conveyor relativeto the exit opening of the hopper to receive the articles singlytherefrom, an ejector for the articles mounted at the exit end of thehopper, means operable to actuate the ejector to cause an article todrop onto each of said areas, a reciprocable ram mounted above theconveyor at a position spaced from the hopper, and latches mounted atspaced positions on the ram to engage the ends of the spacing element onthe down stroke and remove the element from the rack member free ofdisturbance to the articles.

2. The apparatus for loading racks according to claim 1 in which lateralprojections of the ram are receivable in apertures of a companion rackmember with a flexible masking surface for each loaded rack member, theprojections being adapted to support each companion rack member andhaving reference surfaces to locate the companion rack members in givenpositions so that down movement of the ram will force the companionmember onto the loaded rack member.

3. The apparatus for loading racks according to claim 2 in whichapertures with latches therein of the loaded rack member are to receiveand interengage notched pins of the companion member, and guides mountedon the conveyor to locate the loaded rack member to align the apertureswith the notched pins for interlocking of the rack members duringdownward movement of the ram and so that the completely loaded rack willbe removed from the conveyor by upward movement of the ram.

4. An apparatus for loading plating racks having connectable companionmembers with flexible masking surfaces extending longitudinally thereofcomprising a conveyor to support one member of each rack longitudinallythereon with its masking surface positioned upper most, guides on theconveyor to limit movement of the supported members longitudinally in agiven path, a hopper for articles of like lengths to be plated havingthe articles stacked horizontally therein and mounted above theconveyor, an exit end for the hopper located at a feeding station abovethe conveyor, a spacing element removably mounted at a given position onthe masking surface of each supported rack member, lateral partitions ofeach element traversing the masking surface to divide the longitudinallyextending masking surface into spaced parallel horizontally extendingarticle supporting areas and cooperating to form guide passageways tothe article supporting areas, means to move the elements successivelywith their rack members on the conveyor relative to the feeding stationto position the guide passageways to re ceive the horizontal articlessuccessively and guide them to lie in spaced parallel positionstransversely of the masking surface on their supporting areas, anadvancing rack and a retaining rack mounted on each element and providedwith teeth spaced longitudinally of the element according .to thespacing of the guide passageways of the element, reciprocable forwardand reverse stroke operating means, an advancing detent for theoperating means adapted to engage successive teeth of the advancing rackduring forward strokes of the operating means to advance the element andits rack member to position successive passageways and articlesupporting areas to the feeding station, and a retaining detent operableat the start of each reverse stroke to engage successive teeth of theretaining rack to hold the element and its rack against reverse movementduring the reverse stroke of the operating means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,676,639 Elliot July 10, 1928 1,841,451 Pope Jan. 19, 1932 2,801,965Monahan Aug. 6, 1957 2,862,633 Stiles i Dec. 2, 1958 2,942,392 McCainJune 28, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 412,641 Great Britain July 5, 1934

